Internment services were held for 9 members of the B-29, Haley's Comet,  on May 10, 1949 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery Section E 62.

Captain Walter S. McDonnell, Pilot

1/Lt David C. Williams, Copilot

1/Lt William Pleus, Bombardier

2/Lt Joseph Bena, Navigator

2/Lt Graydon V. Hardy, Flight Engineer

S/Sgt Cecil V. Hassell, Radio Operator

Sgt James F. Campbell, Gunner

Sgt Albert W. Preisser, Gunner

S/Sgt John J. Connell, CFC

Lt. Vere D. Carpenter, Radar Operator   POW

Sgt Clint F. Lodovici, Tailgunner     POW

The B-29, “Haley’s Comet”, took off from Saipan to bomb the Nakajima Aircraft Factory in Musashino, a western suburb of Tokyo. Poor weather, intense flak and fighters attack the formation. This B-29 was hit by flak and fighters and fell behind in the formation with its bomb bay on fire. It was continually attacked by fighters until “Haleys Comet” was rammed by a Japanese fighter. The B-29 crashed Ishino, Shisui Town, Inba County, Chiba Prefecture. Lt Carpenter and Sgt Lodovici parachuted, were captured and survived the Omori POW Camp.

The B-29 “In The Mood” 42-24826, assigned to the 483^rd Squadron, 505^th Bomb Group, was shot down on May 26, 1945 and most of the crew was buried in Section E 20, Zachary Taylor National Cemetery on February 11, 1949. They were held at the USAF Mausoleum-Yokohama No. 1 until interred in their final resting place at the National Cemetery in Louisville, Ky.

1/Lt Paul W. Monahan, Copilot

M/Sgt John B. Wright, Flight Engineer

T/Sgt Halden S. Adrion, CFC

Sgt Charles Couchman, Radio Operator – POW at Omori

Sgt Harold S. Leavitt, Radar Operator –  POW at Omori

Sgt Glidden C. Lurvey, Gunner– POW at Omori

Sgt John MacGuire, Tailgunner – POW at Omori

2/Lt Francis F. Jensen,  Gunner -  POW location?             

"Another mission, and it was a good one. Didn't see much at all except a bunch of searchlights and a lot of fires. Tokyo just isn't what it used to be although quite a few of the guys were shot up."

But Sandy said about two nights later:

"Back to Tokyo again. It certainly was different from the night before. Don't know if they found out we were coming or what but they certainly were ready. They really were pouring up the old fire at us. It's been three or four missions since we've seen any like it. It looked like a solid sheet when we started in. I'm telling you, Ma, everyone in that plane was scared. Sounds as though we had switched dates! But both missions turned out pretty bad for a lot of the crews."

(Mission 183) During the night of 25-26 May, 464 B-29's dispatched from the XXI BC attack Tokyo urban areas immediately south of the Imperial Palace and just north of that bombed on 23-24 May with 3262 tons of incendiary bombs which destroyed financial, commercial and governmental districts as well as factories and homes; six B-29's attack other targets. The AAF claims 19 Japanese fighters. Twenty-six B-29's are lost (the largest loss of B-29's and crews in a single day).

From a Japanese Report:

In Tokyo urban district air raid where becomes 23rd combat mission, alternating with the original left crew, Jensen lieutenant junior grade of 505th bombardment group gunnery officer embarking, In the Mood which participated received anti-aircraft shell 2 shot direct bomb hits, the Saitama prefecture Kawaguchi city good fortune 藏 fell in the Nitta rice field. 6 corpses who exclude 5 people who succeed in parachute escaping were collected from actual place, Kawaguchi city in dense 藏 institute of the line field were cremated were enshrined cheaply.

It became June 10th serious condition at the eastern military policeman party headquarters prison and the medicine 4 people who exclude Jensen lieutenant junior grade who kills after the war returned home

This B-24 Liberator, 41-24026, “Baby,” and crew were assigned to the 344^th Squadron of the 98^th Bomb Group. They were shot down by flak on August 21, 1943. Four crewmen were buried on January 24, 1950 in Section E Plot 228 of the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.

2nd Lt. Kenneth L. Minnich   Pilot   Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
2nd Lt. Martin B. Cook   Copilot     Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
2nd Lt. Charles Hachat  Navigator
2nd Lt. Paul Marks   Bombardier
T/Sgt Lloyd A Peterson   Engineer
S/Sgt Richard P. Wallace  Asst. Eng.
T/Sgt Enrico C. Pugliese   Radio Opr.
S/Sgt Thomas O. Varner   Asst. Radio Sicily-Rome American Cemetery
S/Sgt Edward L Fracasso   Gunner   Sicily-Rome American Cemetery
S/Sgt Donald L. Bennett   Asst. gunner  Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery 
S/Sgt A.C. Holman    Sicily-Rome American Cemetery
S/Sgt C. L. Franck     Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery

This B-26 Marauder, 42-95878, “Weary Lera,” and crew were assigned to the 1^st Pathfinder Squadron. They were shot down in the Luxembourg area on December 23, 1944. They were buried in Section E Plot 133 on September 20, 1949 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.

1/Lt John R. Berens
S/Sgt Francis J. Boyd
1/Lt Walter P. Garbisch
2/Lt David B. Lantz
S/Sgt Roger J. Roy
S/Sgt Joseph M. Shearon
2/Lt Herman L. Wolfe

The Garbisch crew was with the 1st Pathfinder Squadron.  The 1st Pathfinder Squadron was an independent unit belonging to no parent Group.  Formed in February 1944 from a cadre drawn from 322nd, 323rd, 344th, 386th and 387th Bomb Groups.

Trevor Allen

Historian b26.com